Commission oxygen plants on priority, Centre tells states

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, January 7

Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan has asked states and UTs to commission oxygen plants on a war footing, check the functionality of all oxygen equipment and lodge complaints in case the ventilators installed by them are out of order.

Bhushan made these observations at a meeting he chaired with states and UTs in a virtual mode today to review the preparedness of oxygen equipment.

The Union Health Secretary emphasised it was the responsibility of states/UTs to ensure all oxygen equipment at health facilities was tested and kept in a functional state to meet any emergent situation.

Meanwhile, days after the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) said it had kept Merck’s anti-Covid pill, the world’s first oral Covid treatment, from inclusion in the national treatment guidelines, doctors across India are free to prescribe the drug based on emergency use approval granted by the Indian drug regulator.

The Central Drug Standards Control Organisation had, on December 28, approved Molnupiravir, American pharma giant Merck’s product, for emergency use for Covid treatment.

The subject experts of the national regulator had, however, said the doctors must explain the patients all possible concerns about the pill.

MSD Pharmaceuticals, a wholly owned subsidiary of Merck, has said the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) granted restrictive emergency use for Molnupiravir for the treatment of non-hospitalised patients with confirmed Covid infection.

“Based on this emergency use, Molnupiravir will be available to appropriate patients with a doctor’s prescription,” the MSD said today.

ICMR chief Balram Bhargava has, however, maintained that there are major safety concerns over Molnupiravir and experts are still debating its inclusion in the Covid treatment protocol.

That gives the oral pill a unique status — approved, but not recommended.

The ICMR chief said the drug could cause teratogenicity (potential to harm the foetus), mutagenicity (potential for permanent damage to genetic materials), cartilage damage and muscle damage.